Senator John Fetterman is making headlines again—this time for openly endorsing Israel’s right to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the wake of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack.
Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel.
We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran. https://t.co/3lm1YD6dVr
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) June 13, 2025
Asked directly whether Israel should have taken out Khamenei during its targeted strikes, Fetterman didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, 100 percent… they should have taken him out.” His response was blunt, unequivocal, and a clear break from the more cautious rhetoric of his Democratic colleagues.
Fetterman, a longtime vocal supporter of Israel, had previously urged the Biden administration to back Israel “with whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry.” But this new declaration crosses into territory few Democrats have dared enter: advocating regime decapitation.
FOX: “You say show no mercy, and if you have to take the Supreme Leader out, do it. Explain your position.”
FETTERMAN: “100%. Yeah. I think they should have targeted him. Absolutely. Gone and taken him out!”
“The way Israel operates, they just take out the leadership, just like… pic.twitter.com/Ehq4dwSC41
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 17, 2025
The comments come just days after Israel launched a preemptive strike, known as Operation Rising Lion, that reportedly eliminated senior officials in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and top nuclear operatives. The mission has dramatically shifted the tone of regional power dynamics, with Tehran vowing retaliation and the U.S. stepping up intelligence coordination with Israel.
Fetterman’s position now places him firmly among the most hawkish voices in Congress, even eclipsing many Republicans in his support for direct action against the regime’s leadership. The endorsement of such a strike comes at a moment when much of the Democratic Party is calling for de-escalation and restraint to avoid all-out war.
His statement also signals a growing ideological divide: while progressives urge diplomacy, Fetterman is siding with national security hardliners and the Trump administration’s assertive posture in the region.
Bottom line:
Fetterman has planted his flag—loudly and clearly. In his view, the Ayatollah is not just part of the problem—he’s the target. And in backing Israel’s right to eliminate him, Fetterman is reshaping the Democratic conversation on national security, conflict, and what it means to support America’s closest ally in the region.